Tame the Cain in You!

Jealousy is definitely there in your school; within and amongst your staff members; but, you must master it. Jealousy is human and cuts across all professions and trades. Jealousy is as old as Cain and Abel. It is just as virulent now as it was then. Jealousy caused Cain to resent Abel, his own brother so much that he killed him. Jealousy is older; Lucifer fell by its poison! You and I must master our jealousies and divert its energies to personal developments. Indeed jealousy can be good when positively channelled.

Step back a little and reflect on that overly friendly and generous teacher in your school who generously spreads gists that should really be classified information. Yes you’ve got that other confrontational teacher who’s very skilled at ‘fixing’ new or timid teachers. You absolutely have that teacher who knows the mind of the principal. She/he boasts of being ‘five and six’ with management taking ‘news’ to and fro. On the other hand, you do have that ‘innocent’ quieter teacher who’s adept at effortlessly suggesting ideas that fan the embers of prejudices, discontent and rancour.

Like everywhere else, school jealousies can generate subtle: rumouring, discontentment, resentments, cliques and cliquish nesses, verbal and psychological abuses, segregations and unhappiness. The following reasons explain why teachers may get jealous of each other: Personal financial challenges or financial uncertainties within the establishment. Structural changes within the academic team. Departmental reorganisation or reassignment(s). Lack of opportunities for promotion or trainings. Lack of professional progression. Salaried reassignment of another member of staff. An anticipated or deserved promotion went to another teacher. Another teacher is more affluent, trendy or seemingly problem-free. Another teacher is more creative. The constant adoption of another/other teachers’ ideas. Clear favoritism shown to another teacher(s). Being unrecognised or under-praised. Inability to accept change. A low self-image and self-esteem. Simply having a hateful, controlling, myopic and or confrontational personality. The employer/establishment is not staff-orientated. The existence of ‘toxic’ team members particularly if they have management roles. A management that feeds into ‘Chinese whispers’. Having a very little or no knowledge of the school’s ethos. Not cuing into the aspirations of the employing school. Having little or no hope of personal advancement. The above list has certainly not exhausted the reasons for dissatisfaction within the school. What is important is that you identify the cause for your misgivings and quench it. I shall share ways to do this next.